A Small Price
by Ardikani4
Summary: We all know the legend that is Riddick. What if there was someone he left behind? Someone not of his blood but just as close? Rated T for minor language, one-shot. Riddick/OC, familial.


The nights are always longer than the days…at least, that was what it always felt like to me. No matter where I was, whether it was light or dark, I always knew when it was night on Furya. Rather, I knew when the regular nocturnal hours of Furya were…were being the key word. My home world was gone, had been since I was young. But on some of those nights, wherever I was, I could close my eyes, and just for a moment, I'd be home, standing under my native stars and breathing the clear, cool night air. I could hear the cries of the younger children in the nursery, and if I really focused, I could sense his presence.

_Riddick_. I thought, a soft sigh leaving my chest as I remembered him as the smart, tough young boy I had grown up with, the dark ebony depths of his eyes eventually being replaced by that wild silver sheen that only a few of our race ever inherited, much less displayed as they matured.

I had been the one to find him, injured and shivering amongst the refuse of a garbage dumpster, a few days after the Necromongers attacked Furya. I was barely older than the boy, only three years of age, but there was enough strength in my little body to crawl into the dumpster and retrieve the young Riddick. Our eyes had locked, his ebony to my mahogany, and we had stared at each other for the longest of moments before he had curled trustingly into my chest, burrowing his head beneath my chin as I carefully made my way out of the dumpster and back to the shelter that I had been told was 'home' after the attack had started.

My parents were shocked, hurling questions at me the moment I appeared with Riddick in my arms. I explained as best I could, then I saw the sorrow in their eyes. They had heard the stories of young male Furyans being strangled. Our immediate assumption was that Riddick was yet another sad victim, only he had survived. From that moment on, he became my little brother, and once he grew old enough, I told him the truth, of how I had found him and how we weren't blood kin. But that didn't matter to him…he still saw me as his idolized older sister, up until the second he disappeared. I never knew what happened to him, and I spent countless days searching fruitlessly for the powerful young teenager with the glowing silver eyes, only to return empty-handed every night, with a little more of my heart broken.

Then, as I began my own journey across the cosmos, whispers starting reaching my ears, of a vicious killer on the loose, a legend among legends. He was known for his speed, skill, and ferocity in battle, even moreso for his love of the shiv and other such sharp weaponry. He was infamous for breaking out of every prison to hold him, even the maximum security and double-max prisons. I never got his name in the stories…but everyone knew who he was. And then I heard something that stopped my heart. He had silver eyes. He could see in the dark because of it, but was very sensitive to light. And I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the boy Riddick that I had once known and called my brother…was the killer of legends.

I began trailing him across the stars, following the stories of his latest kills and chasing down details on the prisons he had been through. I was a hunter in my own right, and I was very skilled with the battle axe. Each Furyan has a unique weapon that calls to them, in the depths of their soul. The battle axe was mine. Riddick…well, it was anything he could get his hands on really. Sometimes even nothing at all.

My journey led me through some of the most hellish places known to man, some I even suspected had never had a human set foot on their soil before. But I was determined to find Riddick, the boy I had once saved, the man that he had become. I became a legend myself, killing those foolish enough to try to use me for their own devices, even becoming a resident of a few prisons Riddick had once visited. But strangely, like him, I could always find a way out, and in my determination to find the man, I let no one stand in my way. I was not a monster without a conscience, but I would only give one warning. Stand aside or die. It was just that simple.

Through the years and the battles and the bloodshed, I never gave up on finding Riddick, eventually finding myself on Helion Prime, where it was rumored that the latest bounty on his head had originated from. I stalked through the bright streets, a predator in my prime as my dark eyes flashed in the sunlight. I wore a hooded cloak, my face covered, as well as the battle axe strapped across my back. Most of the people took no notice, more concerned with chattering to each other about 'them' and how the comet passing the planet was a prophecy of doom, and so forth. I paid scarce attention, my eyes still searching when suddenly, a familiar scent touched my nose, faint but familiar.

I slowly came to a halt, closing my eyes and focusing solely on the smell until I knew where to go. Opening my eyes, I made my way carefully through the streets, the scent growing stronger and stronger until I found myself in front of a big, nice house. I stopped to study it for just a moment, feeling the hair on my neck prickling slightly, then I slowly moved on.

_He is there…he has to be._ I thought, my eyes quickly scanning the structure for an easy access point. I spotted it, a window on the second floor. It was but the work of a moment for me to slip into the alley and climb the wall. I was inside before anyone knew the difference.

Even as my feet touched the floor, I knew that he had seen me. I could sense him now, close and getting closer with every second that passed. I didn't bother to turn around as I rose to my feet, knowing without a shadow of doubt that he was there. The blade at my throat only confirmed my thoughts.

"And who would you be?" His voice was deep, low, and grating. Just as I remembered. I closed my eyes again, taking a deep breath before I turned to face him without fear. Slowly, I opened my eyes, willing myself to stay calm but still feeling my heart jump when I found myself looking straight into his silver eyes for the first time in so long. I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face, and I reached up to carefully draw back my hood and the scarf covering my face. I heard his sharp intake of air when my face was revealed, and I stared at him for a moment before I spoke.

"Hello, Riddick." I wasn't sure what else I could say, but as it stood, I didn't get the chance to say anything else before the blade was jerked away from my throat and his massive arms were wrapped around my shoulders. I couldn't help but hug him back, burying my face in his neck as I felt him tremble slightly.

"Cassidy…it's you. It's really you…" _There you are,_ I thought, smiling through my tears as I hugged him tighter.

"Hey little brother…I've been looking for you for a long time. Where the hell have you been?" My voice was muffled against his shoulder but he heard me nonetheless. He pulled back a little reluctantly, looking into my eyes for a moment before he checked me out from head to foot.

"You look good, sister. And I've been around…here, there, everywhere." Riddick replied, his deep voice rumbling with a laugh as I reached out and gently took one of his massive calloused hands, tracing his scars as I studied his hand thoughtfully.

"So I've heard. You've been quite the busy little mass murderer and jail-breaker, haven't you?" My voice held no reprimand but he flinched nonetheless, gently drawing his hand from mine to take both of mine in his, drawing my eyes back to his as he murmured a reply.

"A small price to pay to find what I'm looking for. And you?" I stared into those silver depths, marveling at how much my 'little' brother had grown over the years. A smirk crossed my face before I replied to his question.

"I have my own legend now, after trailing you across the stars these last ten years or so. Though I fall short of your record…not exactly something I want to strive to catch, little brother." I saw the surprise in his gaze when I revealed that I had been trying to locate him, then a cautious, guarded look entered his eyes when I mentioned his record.

"Cassidy, please don't tell me…" Before he could finish, my battle axe was out and he was pinned to the wall with the blade grazing his throat ever so slightly. His eyes met mine again, and both of us saw the pain buried in the other's gaze.

"A small price to pay to find what I'm looking for." I whispered, using his words against him before I backed up and slowly placed my battle axe across my back again. We stared at each other, aware of the other's sorrow, before the sound of a door opening broke the spell. I disappeared into the shadows as Riddick prowled forward to meet the man who owned the house we were standing in, and I couldn't help but wonder at what fate held in store for us both. Would I be able to remain at Riddick's side…or would destiny tear us apart again.

Standing there, watching Riddick and the man he called Imam talk, I sensed that the latter was true. With sorrow and pain rippling through me, I turned and left the same way I had come in, pausing for just a moment to stare at the comet growing ever closer in the darkness. Then with a whisper, I was gone.

* * *

**A/N: Plot bunnies. I swear. The little pests will be the death of me. Ever since I watched Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick, they have been tearing at me to write _something_. I have one other possible Riddick fic running around on my computer but I'm more concerned with The Wanderer at the moment. But I figured one little one-shot wouldn't hurt...**

**Anyway. Yes, Cassidy is my OC. And I know Riddick is OOC...but we never saw him as a kid in the movies. So who knows how he'd really react to a sibling? I know he's a dark, cold bastard but he has some sort of caring side...Pitch Black showed that with Jack, Imam, and Carolyn. His feelings for Jack followed through in The Chronicles of Riddick, when she reappeared as Kyra. So...if he can remember and care about Jack/Kyra, why not a 'sister'?**

**Hope ya'll like reading this little bugger as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


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